Reading glasses

[Dale Wambaugh]

My major complaint with getting older is needing reading glasses. I can tell you if a an eagle a half mile off is missing a tail feather, but I can't read a map without some "cheaters."

I normally pack a pair of the tiny reading glasses that come in a plastic tube and I found some today that have an LED light built into the end of the tube. I use the tube for wrapping my duct tape supply around as well.

[Carol Brown]

Dale, Where did you find the tube/LED light combination? Nice multi-tasking with the duct tape. Whether I want to admit it or not, I seem to need those cheaters as well. Carol

[Dale Wambaugh]

I found them new in a Goodwill store. They had a display box full of them at the “treasures” counter for $5.95 a pair.

These are the same– at 3x the price!
http://www.aclens.com/da.asp?ID=7249

While searching for those, I came on these keyring readers: http://www.visiondirect.com/la/product/default.asp?pid=91030&catid=11538&aid=337033&aparam=keyvision_llc_keyring_rea

For multiple use, you can get stick on bifocals for your sunglasses. I have some of these and they really work:
http://www.shoplet.com/office/db/VIIOPT200G.html

[Carol Corbridge]

Costco has them in 3 packs for the best price I’ve found. They have several styles. The plastic ones are really light at 0.5 oz too.

[paul johnson]

Dale or Carol, Please remind about these reading glasses. What info do they/you need to know to get the right ones. Isn’t it something like age of onset and current age, or how many years since reading glasses were first required? It’s supposedly fairly consistent as to how this need progresses with aging. One of the few things most people with this need don’t require an eye exam for, if i understand it correctly.

[Dale Wambaugh]

I’ll start and end this with the same caveat– get an eye exam.

Most states don’t require an eye exam for reading glasses.

They are for presbyopia– the gradual thickening of the lens (see http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/presbyopia.htm ), which causes it to lose flexibility and you can’t focus as close as you could when younger. So you hold things out farther to read them and the text gets too small or your arms get too short.

If you go to the drugstore, you can try on increasing strengths until you can read normal size type at a normal reading distance. If they are too strong, you can still read, but you have a more limited range. You can use stronger glasses for working on small objects if you are doing something crafts work or repairs.

The glasses start at 1.0 and go up in 0.25 increments. I started using 1.25 glasses about five years ago and I’m up to 2.0’s now (I’ll be 52 in a few weeks).

Like I said, I have excellent vision at distance– always have, but I can’t read a map or GPS without the glasses.

I figured the Creator gave us presbyopia so we wouldn’t notice when our spouses age– we look nice and smooth up close with our glasses off :)

Get an eye exam! There may be other underlying reasons for changes in your vision and you should get them checked once a year anyway, particularly as you age.

[paul johnson]

“What’s that you say, sonny?…”

Many thanks, pj.

[Carol Corbridge]

The Costco display has a view thru device that helps you determine the magnification you need. Quite helpful really.

[paul johnson]

Ah, I see. 20yrs ago, the local pharmacy had a rack of reading glasses with a chart. All I recall, and this is not clear, is that you just found your current age on the chart and how many years you’ve needed reading glasses and they gave you a number (maybe it was the diopter reading, e.g. 1.25, etc) and then you picked a style you liked with that number. An older co-worker at the time used this system for years. Apparently, if this was you only vision problem, progression of presbyopia was supposed to be pretty typical. At least, that’s how this system figured it. Me, I’ve got a vision plan, so I can see an Optometrist.

[neil broten]

Carol:

I am scouring the internet for this game and came across a post you made in 2006 -do you still have this game – and would you be willing to sell it to me? Thank you so much for your time:

Best Regards, Neil Broten

Game post below.

( ccorbridge – M)

Locale:
Southern Oregon

Himalaya Card Game on 03/29/2006 07:43:26 MST
New, never played game for campers or backpackers.

A game of high adventure cleverly disguised as cards. You'll face whiteouts, avalanche and frostbite, risk taking the shortcut to camp. Every climber should carry 'HIMALAYA' in their pocket just in case things get dull.

Retail $12 plus shipping
Asking $5 plus shipping

http://www.campingsurvival.com/hicaga.html

[Huzefa @ Blue Bolt Gear]

Hi Neil.

Try this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/1990-HIMALAYA-CARD-GAME-100-COMPLETE-EXCELLENT_W0QQitemZ370099914565QQcmdZViewItem?

[Mary D]

The need for close-up vision correction usually happens in the early 40's, when the ability to change focus diminishes. When you find your arms are too short to hold the book far enough away to be able to read it clearly, or that, if you're near-sighted, taking off your glasses works better, it's time to see your optometrist for a proper diagnosis and prescription. Drugstore glasses (or reading without glasses for us myopic folk) are fine for occasional use but for prolonged use can cause eyestrain. I tried the old-fashioned bifocals and fought with them for a year–it seemed that the line was always where I wanted to look. I then bit the bullet for progressive lenses, which are far better. YMMV; a friend never could adapt to the progressives and preferred bifocals with the line!

A couple of things sent me to drugstore reading glasses. First, I've found that a pair of glasses with just my distance prescription are far safer for hiking–I can see the ground in front of me clearly without having to dip my head to look through the upper half of the glasses. And since my cataract surgery with artificial lens implants (which brought my vision without glasses to almost normal), I have poor close-up vision without glasses. I also found that optometrists are really reluctant to make the close-up portion of the progressive lenses strong enough to read really fine print (as on maps). Combining these two means that for map-reading on hikes I do better to get drugstore reading glasses that are one step stronger than the close-up prescription the optometrist gives me.

I do not, of course, do much reading when I'm backpacking. If I did, I'd work with the optometrist to get a pair of prescription reading glasses that would work for the fine print on maps and such.

There are various options available for contact lens wearers, but I haven't explored them.

[Scott Ridgeway]

http://select-a-vision.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=77

I bought my first pair of these at Walmart. Then, my Walmart stopped carrying them. When I found their website, I ordered a pair or each of the strengths stronger than what I was currently needing. I'm gonna need those stronger lenses eventually, and I really like these. I'm covered for a long time, and I only paid shipping once. The green ones tend to disappear on your face, if you're vain. They'll also disappear if you lay or drop them on the ground. They weigh a mere 0.3 oz. so they're comfortable enough you can forget you're wearing them. I've never broken a pair in 4 years, but reading isn't a very rough and tough endeavor for me. The company also has titanium models listed on the site if you're a aging super hero.

[Diane “Piper” Soini]

What I do is try on the reading glasses holding a bottle of medication from the medication aisle, whichever one I can find with the tiniest type. If I can read the bottle, those are the glasses for me.

[Siegmund Beimfohr]

Scott,
I also have a pair of the Select-a-vision Flexi-Lights purchased at WM and like them. In addition to backpacking, I usually carry them in a jacket pocket about town.

However, for packpacking, I have been concerned with breaking the glasses if the case is not used so I carry the glasses in the case in a belt pocket. I'm not happy with the case size and have considered getting these glasses:

http://www.i4ulenses.com/

They certainly look more streamlined but don't know how effective they'd be. I'd only be using intermittently for map reading and detail on a GPS screen.

[Scott Ridgeway]

Siegmund- Those are cool! Or as cool as reading glasses can really be.

[Chris Chastain]

Those i4u glasses work great.

I have a set of the high power magnifiers also, that I use
around the house all the time for splinters and what not.

I think they would not be very comfortable for long term book reading (they kind of pinch off your nose a little), but for occasional use, like map reading and stuff on a hike, they are great.

My buddy liked them so much, he bought a pair too, and is happy with them.

Get the hard plastic case with them, and you need not worry about hurting them, even in your back pocket.

[James D Buch]

PJ wrote:
Re: glasses on 03/08/2006 01:09:33 MST Reply Report Post Print View

Ah, I see. 20yrs ago, the local pharmacy had a rack of reading glasses with a chart. All I recall, and this is not clear, is that you just found your current age on the chart and how many years you've needed reading glasses and they gave you a number (maybe it was the diopter reading, e.g. 1.25, etc) and then you picked a style you liked with that number. An older co-worker at the time used this system for years. Apparently, if this was you only vision problem, progression of presbyopia was supposed to be pretty typical. At least, that's how this system figured it. Me, I've got a vision plan, so I can see an Optometrist.

=====================================

Forget about the 20 year old "memories" of "Standardized Reading Glasses". charts.

Nearly the very best thing is to have some reading material in front of you and READ.

It is probably better to have your eyes examined and a prescription written. Depending upon how you use the glasses, you may elect to use different strengths of eyeglasses for reading and computer useage.

I have had 2.5 diopter lenses prescribed for reading bifocals and the eye doctor is pleased to know that I use 1.75 diopters lenses for the longer reading distance of the computer. I also use 3.5 diopter lenses for occasional very close detailed work. This is fine with the eye doctor.

I suggest you have a chat with your eye doctor about the desire to have different "near" glasses for different "near" activities.

You might also ask him or her about the "usefulness" of "standardized aging eyeglasses charts", and then you can let go of the old 20 year old memory.

My 55 year old memory has my father purchasing his reading glasses at the Woolworth Dime Store, and he just looked at his hand to see how well he could see his fingerprints and creases at different distances. Later he bought prescription trifocals because in his work he needed "Far", "Near" and "Very Near" seeing abilities and could only easily carry one set of glasses on the construction sites.

[karl hafner]

I know a surgeon at the top of his game who suddenly had visual problems and no longer can do surgery. He had a problem that could of easily been caught with regular eye exams – glaucoma. He'll never do surgery again. Don't just get reading glasses get those eye exams at least beginning at 50 and then regularly after that.

[sheila o]

I got a pair of i4U glasses…worked great for my through hike. Used the regular case that came with and kept them it safe in my shoulder pocket. thanks for the suggestion BPLers

[Mike M]

the Costco readers (Desgin Optices) are very light- 0.3 oz, but their case is not- 1.2 oz

I've been looking for a light case, in the meantime I've been wrapping them w/ a small optic cleaning cloth and a rubber band 0.1 oz- handy to clean my sunglasses as well, but not overly protective- albeit they are relatively hardy glasses

[Mark Regalia]

They are a single piece of plastic with a springy bridge so that they clip on to your nose. Not that badly really, just wouldn't wear them on a first date.

They are designed to fit in your wallet. I keep a pair in my compact digital camera pouch. Can't see those blasted displays w/o them. I think youngsters shouldn't be allowed to design cameras. Only old folks like me.

[Mike M]

^ looks like these might be what your talking about- look pretty light/compact

http://www.ballbeauty.com/wallet_reading_glasses.htm

[Mike M]

I just bought a three pack of these (e-bay w/ free shipping)

while these are NOT going to substitute my normal readers at home that have temples, these are going to work just fine for map reading, compass reading, etc in the back country

weight is only 3.5 grams, the little wallet sleeve they are stowed in is 4.0 grams

I'm going to stow mine in a small optic cloth that weighs 4.0 grams as well- can clean my sunglasses, camera w/ it as well

[Roger Caffin]

I bought some glasses like those for our trip in Switzerland.
They worked fine in the plane from Australia to Europe, and they worked fine the first evening in a refuge.
But they failed miserably and totally once we started walking.
Why?
Combine sweat and sunscreen with something which inherently relies on skin friction to stay on, and … they popped straight off. Every time. My wife was greatly amused.
I resorted to cheap UL specs.

Cheers

[Author]

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